William Tyler ★★★★
Goes West MERGE. CD/DL/LP
Fourth solo outing by the Lambchop and Silver Jews guitarist.
RIGHT FROM the opening Alpine Star with its luminous picking, song-like structure and dextrous, subtle band accompaniment, you know you are in safe hands. This all-instrumental album by the Nashville guitarist follows on from Modern Country, acclaimed by Rolling Stone as one of the best country albums of 2016, but there’s nothing generic about his approach here. Comparisons can be made with David Pajo’s Papa M, Jack Rose at his most concise and, inevitably, John Fahey – who still casts such a long shadow. But while those players explored some dark corners, with Tyler on vividly-recorded acoustic guitar, Goes West feels invigoratingly sunny. Synths give string-like colours to the bittersweet melodies of Venus In Aquarius, while drummer Griffin Goldsmith rolls along like Levon Helm, and Tyler is joined by Bill Frisell’s spangly electric guitar on Our Lady Of The Desert.